Medicinal Plants for Ultralight Backpacking
Should ultralight backpacking enthusiasts learn about medicinal
plants? Maybe. Backpackers shouldn't leave the first aid kit
home, but it can be useful and interesting to know a few plant
medicines too. If you are someday in a survival situation, or
you just lost your first aid kit and have a terrible headache,
wouldn't it be nice to find relief nearby?
Well, you can. There are many effective medicinal plants out
there, but some can also be very dangerous, just like synthetic
medicines can be. Here is a quick guide to a few safe plant medicines
you can try.
Medicinal Plants for Pain Relief
Cover the bottom of a cup with shredded willow bark, and make
tea with it. Allow it to steep for a few minutes before you drink
it. Willow bark contains salicin, closely related to salacylic
acid, which is used to make aspirin. You can also try chewing
on a few balsam poplar buds, which also may have some salicin
in them.
Antiseptic Plants
The sap from "blisters" on balsam firs is a strong
antiseptic. Just pop the blisters on the trunks of young trees,
and the sap will ooze out. Spread it over cuts and small wounds
to prevent infection. It's very sticky, and it will be difficult
to wash off, but at least it smells nice.
Crushed leaves of Saint John's Wort can be used as an antiseptic
dressing. I put a wad of the mashed leaves on a nasty gash in
my foot, bandaged it in place, and replaced it occasionally The
cut healed faster than I've ever seen a cut heal. St. Johns Wort
has not only anti-bacterial properties, but anti-viral and anti-fungal
properties as well.
Medicinal Plants to Treat Diarrhea
Tea made from the roots of blackberries, raspberries and their
relatives can stop diarrhea. Fill the bottom of a cup with the
cleaned and shredded roots and pour boiling water over them.
Steep for five minutes before drinking.
I once used the twigs from an oak tree to stop diarrhea when
I was backpacking in Mexico. Just make tea with a spoonful of
the bark or chopped-up twigs. The tannins in oak can be hard
on the kidneys, so drink just one cup of tea, or use oak only
if you don't have other options.
Medicinal Plants to Treat Skin
To relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning
rashes, apply a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora). I've
seen a poison ivy rash clear up overnight by using the juice
from jewelweed. The juice is also said to work on sunburn as
well as aloe vera.
Tea of witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana) can be used
for relief from insect bites and sunburn. Witch Hazel once was
a common astringent that women used as a "tightening"
and refreshing face wash.
While there are hundreds of plants that could be useful to
hikers and backpackers, you don't need to become an expert to
benefit from them. Why not just learn to identify and use a few
of the most widespread and safest medicinal plants?
Visit the page "Medicine
Plants" in my Wilderness Survival Guide for more on
medicinal plants.
|
